September 24th 2014 Lesson 190
I choose the joy of God instead of pain.
- Intention: To remember that through our thoughts, we are free to choose our joy instead of pain, our holiness in place of sin, the peace of God instead of conflict, and the light of Heaven for the darkness of the world. Remember that no one but myself affects me.
- Practice:
Today again we make the only choice that ever can be made; we choose between illusions and the truth, or pain and joy, or hell and Heaven.
Twice today, let us go to that quiet place within our hearts and minds where the Light and Love and Joy of God abides. Let us leave behind all thoughts about anything and relax into that deep refreshing silence, the Heaven that God established forever in us.
- Application: Lay down your arms, and come without defense into the quiet place where Heaven's peace hold all things still at last. Lay down all thoughts of danger and of fear. Let no attack enter with you. Lay down the cruel sword of judgment that you hold against your throat, and put aside the withering assaults with which you seek to hide your holiness. Here will you understand there is no pain. Here does the joy of God belong to you. This
is the day when it is given us to realize the lesson that contains all
of salvation's power. It is this: Pain is illusion; joy, reality.
Pain is but sleep; joy is awakening. Pain is deception; joy alone is
truth.
The world may seem to cause us pain. And yet the world, as causeless, has no power to cause. As an effect, it cannot make effects. As an illusion, it is what we wish. Our idle wishes represent its pains. Our strange desires bring it evil dreams. Our thoughts of death envelop it in fear, while in our kind forgiveness does it live. The world you see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents your thoughts. And it will change entirely as you elect to change your mind, and choose the joy of God as what you really want. Your Self is radiant in this holy joy, unchanged, unchanging, and unchangeable, forever and forever.
Insights/comments:
- How is it that we fail to experience the joy of God consistently in our lives. We thought it was the world and all its apparent problems that caused us pain, but now we know that it is only our thoughts about who we are and about what the world is that cause us pain. This is quite a startling awakening for us, but one that places the power to change our world right back into our hands. The solution is clear: remember, who we are, remember who God is, and remember to let our thoughts flow in harmony with His. Let us daily and hourly, and even momentarily culture our awareness to think with Him, by bringing our awareness to Him. And let us remember, even while we are in the world of illusions, that we are of God. Only then will we recognizing the world of illusions for what it is, the effect of our idle thoughts, and bear its slings and arrows patiently, knowing that it, like a reflection in a mirror, will change only as we change our minds about what we think it is, and about what we think we are.
- This we should always remember: "It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain. Nothing external to your mind can hurt or injure you in any way. There is no cause beyond yourself that can reach down and bring oppression. No one but yourself affects you. There is nothing in the world that has the power to make you ill or sad, or weak or frail. But it is you who have the power to dominate all things you see by merely recognizing what you are. As you perceive the harmlessness in them, they will accept your holy will as theirs. And what was seen as fearful now becomes a source of innocence and holiness."
I and my Creator are One.
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